EL PASO, Texas -- Don Haskins, the Hall of Fame coach credited with helping break color barriers in college sports in 1966 when he used five black starters to win a national basketball title for Texas Western, has died. He was 78.

Dr. Dwayne Aboud, Haskins' physician, said that Haskins had been suffering from congestive heart failure and died Sunday at home.

Haskins, who was white, was a coach who believed in hard work and was known for his gruff demeanor. That attitude was portrayed in the 2006 Disney movie "Glory Road," which chronicled Haskins' improbable rise to national fame in the 1966 championship game against an all-white, heavily favored Kentucky team coached by Adolph Rupp.

The Miners won 72-65, and shortly after that many schools began recruiting black players. Haskins said he wasn't trying to make a social statement with his lineup; he was simply starting his best players. The move, however, raised the ire of some who sent Haskins hate mail and even death threats during the racially charged era.

Haskins retired in 1999 after 38 seasons at the school. He had a 719-353 record and won seven Western Athletic Conference titles. He took the school, which would eventually change its name to Texas El-Paso, to 14 NCAA tournaments and to the NIT seven times, and briefly worked as an adviser with the Chicago Bulls.